Beck's Beer Commissions "State of the Arts" Study: Young Adults Say Art is In, Museums are Out

Inaugural Beck's "State of the Arts" Study Examines American Art Consumption; Younger Americans Overwhelmingly Value Art But Only 1 in 4 View it on Museum Walls

PR Newswire

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 17, 2013

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Beck's Beer, the most popular German beer brand in the world and longtime friend of the arts, today announced the results of the inaugural Beck's State of the Arts Study.

The study examines American attitudes toward art and the manner by which it is consumed. The overarching insight is that young adults are more likely to bypass the traditional gatekeepers of art – museums and galleries – and to have a more expansive view of art than their older peers.

The study was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Beck's Beer, from July 29-31, 2013, among more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

The Beck's State of the Arts Study found that Americans overwhelmingly value art, and are embracing a variety of art forms, ranging from traditional to modern and experiential. But art exposure is increasingly less conventional in the age of social media and perpetual photo sharing. Americans don't limit their intake to museums and galleries. They are accessing art through new venues and mediums. The study found:

82 percent of young Americans (aged 21-29) agree that art is a valuable cultural institution.

81 percent of young Americans are regularly exposed to art, versus only 60 percent of older Americans aged 30 or older.

Younger Americans appreciate graffiti/street art more than their older peers; 70 percent of 21-29 year old Americans believe that graffiti and street art should be hanging in art museums and galleries. Less than half of Americans age 30 or older agree.

For 33 percent of younger American adults (aged 21-29), it has been at least one year since their last museum or gallery visit and a full 19 percent have never visited an art museum or gallery in their lifetime.

Americans aged 21-29 tend to consume art via the Internet (52 percent through the internet, non- mobile device, 51 percent on their smartphone/tablet), while older Americans aged 30 or older are likely to consume it via a visit to a gallery or museum (25 percent).

Americans as a whole appear to believe that high-quality art does not need to be expensive. 68 percent believe that they do not need to spend a great deal of money (more than $1,000) on a quality work of art. Sixty-three percent report having spent $100 or less on a work of art.

"Beck's has been participating in the arts for more than 25 years, using our label as a canvas to bring new and unique works of art to beer drinkers," said Chris Curtis, brand manager, Beck's. "Our State of the Arts Study reveals that Americans have an extremely healthy appetite for art. Much like how they consume books, music, TV and movies, Americans are increasingly bypassing the traditional gatekeepers to experience art."

Other findings from the survey include:

Many Americans still want to see classic works of art, despite prioritizing non-traditional art channels. When those who have not seen at least one of these famous works of art in person were asked to choose which they would most want to see in person, da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" was the winner, selected by 34 percent. The Mona Lisa was followed by:

Michelangelo's "David" (28 percent)

Monet's "Water Lilies" (15 percent)

Banksy's "Balloon Girl" (6 percent)

JR's "Inside Out Project" (4 percent)

Basquiat's "LNAPRK" (3 percent)

Among all Americans, paintings were the most preferred art medium; 29 percent of Americans deem it their favorite. Photography came in second, at 16 percent. Photography was followed by:

Sculpture (8 percent)

Drawings (5 percent)

Graffiti/Street art (3 percent)

Video (3 percent)

Graphic design (3 percent)

Other medium (1 percent)

No preferred medium (31 percent)

Beck's Art LabelsEach year for more than 25 years, Beck's has transformed its beer bottles into art canvases for aspiring and established artists alike. This year, beginning in July 2013, Beck's turned over its labels to an eclectic mix of musicians, designers, performance artists and photographers, who each created a piece of original artwork. Beck's limited-edition Art Labels bottles are available nationwide through September. For more details, please visit Beck's Art Labels media site or Facebook.com/BecksBeer.

About Beck's BeerBeck's is the most popular German beer brand in the world and a champion of independent thinking. All Beck's beers are brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516 using only four natural ingredients.

Survey MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within the United States between July 29-31, 2013 among 2,013 adults ages 18 and over, among whom 291 were ages 21-29, by Harris Interactive via its QuickQuery® omnibus product on behalf of Beck's Beer. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.